The Trail Blazers will be without Damian Lillard for the foreseeable future.
In mid-January, Lillard underwent abdominal surgery and was given a recovery timeline of six-to-eight weeks.
Through 29 games, Lillard is averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds on .402/.324/.878 shooting splits. The Trail Blazers now have a 19-26 record following a win over the Celtics, and maintain a hold of the 10th seed in the Western Conference standings.
What's next for Lillard? Here's everything we know about his injury and the latest news on when he may return to the court.
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What is Damian Lillard's injury?
On Nov. 14, Lillard was officially ruled out for the first time this season in a game against Denver with "lower abdominal tendinopathy." It's an injury he said he "irritated" earlier in the month when the Trail Blazers faced the Cavaliers.
This same injury sidelined Lillard for five games between Nov. 30 and Dec. 8.
How long will Damian Lillard be out?
On Thursday, Jan. 13, the Blazers announced that Lillard underwent surgery to repair a core injury causing chronic abdominal pain.
Damian Lillard has undergone abdominal surgery.
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 13, 2022
Get well soon, Dame ❤️https://t.co/ucswBFwefO
According to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, Lillard is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks following surgery.
On Saturday, Jan. 22, Lillard spoke with the media for the first time since undergoing surgery, saying he's "not in a rush" to return and more discussions will be had once he's re-evaluated following the six-to-eight-week timeline.
"I'm not in a rush, my number one goal is to win a championship, I gotta be in the best form to make that happen"
— Orlando Sanchez (@orlandokgw) January 22, 2022
Damian Lillard on what plan is going forward. Evaluated in 6-8 weeks. pic.twitter.com/CqwNWBk3c1
In line with that timeline, Lillard could miss anywhere between 19 to 25 games and his potential return could depend on where the Blazers are in the standings by the time he's ready.
In November, Lillard told the media that he's played with it "for a few years now" and that he's "kind of immune to playing with it." It was reported that Lillard dealt with the injury during Team USA's gold medal run at the Tokyo Olympics.
Trail Blazers schedule 2021-22
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 23 | at Raptors | 6:00 p.m. |
| Jan. 25 | vs. Timberwolves | 10:00 p.m. |
| Jan. 26 | vs. Mavericks | 10:00 p.m. |
| Jan. 28 | at Rockets | 8:00 p.m. |
| Jan. 30 | at Bulls | 3:30 p.m. |
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